Container closure and method of assembly

Abstract

A container closure includes a base with a valve mount portion formed from a first thermoplastic material and a valve formed from a second thermoplastic material. The valve is bonded to the valve mount portion. A lid is hingeably attached to the base and includes a sealing rim extending from a surface of the lid and designed to engage the valve at the location where the valve seals to the valve mount portion. The engagement of the sealing rim with the valve forming a seal between the two components.

1. A closure for a container having a container neck, the closure comprising:
 a base having a top with a periphery from which a skirt depends, the base having a valve mount portion formed on the top of the base, the valve mount portion including an attachment surface, the base being made from a first thermoplastic material; 
 a valve made from a second thermoplastic material, the valve having a flexible central portion with at least one valve opening and an outer peripheral portion molded onto the attachment surface, the flexible central portion movable between opened and closed valve positions in which the valve opening is respectively opened and closed; and 
 a lid hingedly attached to the base for rotation between an open lid position and a closed lid position, the lid having an inner surface and a protrusion positioned on the inside surface of the lid so as to be located adjacent to the central portion of the valve when the lid is in the closed lid position to inhibit movement of the valve to the opened valve position, the lid including a sealing rim having a lower tip and formed on the lid to extend downwardly from the inner surface when the lid is in its closed position, the sealing rim spaced outwardly from the protrusion for contact between the lower tip and the outer peripheral portion of the valve, the contact between the lower tip and the outer peripheral portion forming a substantial seal therebetween. 
 
     
     
       2. The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the valve mount portion is an adapter formed from the first thermoplastic material and defining a housing with a passage extending through the adapter, the adapter including a first end and a second end, at least one adapter connector on the adapter at or near the first end, and wherein the valve attachment surface is formed on the adapter at or near the second end, and wherein the adapter connector is engaged with a base connector on the base. 
     
     
       3. The closure of  claim 2 , wherein the adapter connector includes a hook portion which engages the base connector. 
     
     
       4. The closure of  claim 2 , wherein the adapter connector is snapped into engagement with the base connector. 
     
     
       5. The closure of  claim 1 , the container neck having an external thread, the base skirt further including an internal thread, wherein the closure connects to the container neck by engagement of the external and internal threads. 
     
     
       6. The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the closure is permanently affixed to the container neck. 
     
     
       7. The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic material is a polyolefin and the second thermoplastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
       8. The closure of  claim 7 , wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene. 
     
     
       9. The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing rim is substantially cylindrical in shape and sized to locally compress the outer peripheral portion of the valve when the lid is in its closed position. 
     
     
       10. A closure assembly for a container comprising:
 a base adapted for attachment to a neck of a container; 
 a valve mount member having opposite first and second ends and defining a passage extending through the valve mount member between the first and second ends, the valve mount member secured within an opening of the base; 
 a valve located adjacent the second end of the valve mount member such that the valve covers the passage of the valve mount member, the valve including a flexible inner portion defining a valve opening and an outer peripheral portion attached to the valve mount member, the flexible inner portion movable between opened and closed valve positions in which the valve opening is respectively opened and closed; 
 a lid hingedly attached to the base for rotation between an open lid position and a closed lid position; 
 a valve-stopping protrusion located on an inner surface of the lid adjacent the flexible inner portion of the valve when the lid is in the closed lid position to inhibit movement of the valve to the opened valve position; and 
 a seal rim located on the inner surface of the lid and spaced outwardly from the valve-stopping protrusion for contact between the seal rim and the outer peripheral portion of the valve to form a substantial seal therebetween. 
 
     
     
       11. The closure assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the valve defines at least one pleat to facilitate movement of the flexible inner portion between the closed and opened valve positions.